making news this morning, foreign stocks. >> overseas markets skyrocketing right now, following a huge day for the dow. and even more good news expected today. tales from the campaign trail. herman cain meeting with the one person who will decide his fate. and a scare for the secret service, as a woman grabs president obama. getting cozy. mariah carey and justin bieber's racy, new video. the duet that's raising some eyebrows this morning. good morning. i'm sunny hostin. >> and i'm rob nelson. some overseas markets are already seeing some huge gains today. >> that's right. this follows yesterday's turnaround in the u.s., where the average investor pocketed

$4,000. >> and there's signs that the good times could watchly last. here's abc's tahman bradley. >> reporter: the average american investor wakes up this morning a little wealthier. the dow jones soared up nearly 500 points, above the 12000 mark. >> everyone's been wondering about. it's a little early for that. but it certainly could be. >> reporter: a couple major factors led to stocks blasting off yesterday. number one, the federal reserve and major central banks announced a coordinated effort to lower borrowing costs, something they hope will prevent another recession. number two, a positive outlook for american jobs. the government's monthly jobs report is due out tomorrow. but a report out yesterday says that american companies hired 206,000 new workers last month, the best month for hiring in nearly a year. >> over half the jobs came from the small business sector.

and that's pickup which is critical to have sustained recovery going forward. >> reporter: another good sign for the economy, americans have been buying. a record number took advantage of early bargains. retail sales for the four-day holiday weekend, starting with thanksgiving day, rose almost 9% from last year. economists are watching to see whether the trend continues through the holidays. >> as the consumer spends and the momentum coming out of holiday very well will likely and usually does create growth the following year. >> reporter: tahman bradley, abc news. so, consumer spending up and an optimistic job outlook, all of it boosting overseas markets today. we'll update the latest numbers, coming up in this half hour. herman cain says a face-to-face meeting with his wife and family tomorrow may determine the future of his campaign. it's the first in-person talk they'll have since a georgia woman claimed she and cain had a long-time affair. abc's jonathan karl has more. >> reporter: we caught up with herman cain in ohio.

he didn't look like a candidate about to call it quits. are you going to drop out, mr. cain? >> we're reassessing. >> reporter: reassessing his campaign, but still liking his chances. >> supporters are -- it's been a groundswell of positive support. >> reporter: and the cain campaign is about to launch a brand-new tv ad in iowa, his first. >> if you make me america's ceo, we, the people will take this country back. we can do this. >> reporter: but on "good morning america," cain's former friend, ginger white, offered new details on what she says was a 13-year affair with cain. >> i've received gifts and money for the last 2 1/2 years consistently. >> did he ask for anything in return for that money? >> uh, no. this was not sex for cash. >> reporter: cain acknowledges giving her money. >> i was doing this because of the job market. and so, this -- she's not the only person that i have helped.

>> reporter: in ohio, cain supporters seemed to believe his denials. >> they want you to believe that we can't do this. they want you to believe that with enough character assassination on me, that i will drop out. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, washington. president o back at the white house after a successful fund-raising stop right here in new york. mr. obama was hauling in nearly $2 million for democrats and his re-election campaign last night. tickets to just one of the events cost, get this, more than $35,000 each. now, earlier in scanten, pennsylvania, the president encounter a very enthusiastic supporter. the woman was shaking mr. obama's hand and pulling his arm so much, that the secret service nearly had to step in there. eventually the president got away and kept his smile the whole time. it was an emotional night on the penn state campus, as a new

president promised a higher ethical standard at the school. this comes as the first lawsuit is filed against jerry sandusky for sexual abuse. here's abc's brad wheelis. >> reporter: it was a time for soul-searching at penn state. >> i feel shame. what do i do with these feelings? >> reporter: at a town hall meeting between students, faculty and administrators, the penn state dealt with the lasting mark at the school, as the result of a sex abuse scandal by jerry sandusky. one of argued that it was good -- >> it's important that we learn to question authority. and in many cases, being here and be part of this experience might actually make you a better human being. >> reporter: but there was more bad news for penn state. in the first civil suit filed against jerry sandusky, a now-29-year-old man alleges he was sexually assaulted by the former football coach more than

100 times between 1992 and 1996. the man is not one of the eight boys sandusky is already charged with molesting. his attorney read a statement from the plaintiff. >> i am hurting and have been for a long time. >> reporter: also named in the suit, penn state university and the second mile foundation, the charity jerry sandusky started for at-risk boys. and where he is accused of finding his victims. brad wheelis, abc news. in other news this morning, gary giordano is back home after spending four months in an aruban jail. the businessman from maryland arrived in new york city yesterday, after being reunited with family and trends. giordano, though, is still the prime suspect in the disappearance of robyn gardner. but a court ruled he could no longer be held without more evidence. and we'll hear gary giordano's version coming up later today on "good morning america." it will be interesting to hear what he has to say. time, now, for weather

across the nation. fierce santa ana winds tear through california. those winds also reach las vegas and the rockies. up to seven inches of snow around denver, salt lake city and cheyenne. and up to a foot and a half in the mountains. freezing rain tonight in the texas panhandle. snowshowers from minneapolis to milwaukee. >> just 30 degrees in the twin cities. 44 in chicago. 50 here in new york. 60 in atlanta. 73 in miami. sacramento climbs to 67. salt lake city, 47. and a bitter 21 in colorado springs. well, coming up, the irs wants you because it mayo you money. >> that's a good thing. and your smartphone may be spying on you, reporting your searches and even passwords. what exactly can you do about it? and a big oops for santa left hanging around this mall because of his beard.

recapping our lead story now. markets worldwide are soaring on the news that some of the wealthiest economies in the world are moving to shore up some of europe's weakest. tokyo's nikkei average gained 2% today. hong kong's hang seng gained 1000 points, more than 5.5%. in london, the ftse opened higher. and on wall street, the dow soared 490 points yesterday. the best day in more than two years. the nasdaq index gained 106. there's another report that the holiday shopping season is off to a very good start. mastercard says thanksgiving weekend sales were up almost 9% from last year.

a total of $50 billion. the question now, though, is whether it's a trend or shoppers were just taking advantage of all those deep discounts. well, two companies now have permission to sell the generic form of lipitor, the popular cholesterol drug. the patent on lib tore expired just yesterday. and watson pharmaceuticals is selling a generic, working with the original maker. but an indian company got approval, which will be made in new jersey. disturbing news here. your smartphone may be spying on you. experts say hidden software in the latest androids records every key stroke, including your pass words. and there's no way to opt out. the data is easily available to hackers. the company says it's gathering data for wireless carriers. and iphone users don't get too smug about this. there's a report out there that those phones have it, too. some good news for some. the irs may have money for you.

the tax agency says it has almost 100,000 checks it can't deliver, mostly because of wrong addresses. the average check is more than $1,500. but all those checks add up to $153 million. if you think one of them is yours, call the irs, or go to irs.gov and click on, appropriately enough, where's my refund? where's my refund? >> i need my money. when we come back this morning, the cheerleading mishap caught on national tv. plus, how safe is that apple juice? the latest research and the truth between two respected tv doctors. also, a new milestone for oprah's leadership academy for girls.

much of california's in the midst of what's expected to be the strongest wind event in a

decade. fierce santa ana winds have knocked out power to more than 25,000 people and temporarily diverted lights from los angeles international airport. winds could top 80 miles per hour today from san francisco to san diego. >> hang in there, california. those winds will cause problems for california drivers on i-5, 10 and 80. a windy and snowy commute on i-15, 70 and 80 in the rockies. slick on i-84 to madison. i-35, from duluth to des moines. >> if you're flying, airport delays are possible in los angeles, san francisco, vegas, phoenix, salt lake city, denver and minneapolis. there's a new development in the debate over apple juice that millions of children drink every day. >> that's right. a study by "consumer reports" found alarmingly high levels of arsenic and lead in 88 samples of apple and grape juices. >> scary news. dr. mehmet oz was one of the first to sound the alarm by

highlights it on his tv show. but abc's dr. richard besser and the fda disagreed. saying arsenic levels in most apple juices were harmless. >> how can you do testing in just one lab without getting the results confirmed by other labs? no good scientist would ever do that kind of work. >> that tongue-lashing was a few months ago. dr. oz said exposure to certain 4re68s of arsenic could cause heart disease, cancer and developmental delays. >> and with the new research, dr. besser was quick to apologize, face-to-face, on "world news" last night. >> what bothers me the most, when mehmet and i spoke before, the information i had from the fda was incorrect. you were right. >> thank you very much. i appreciate it. >> let there be peace. the doctors are now seeing eye-to-eye again. they're actually old friends. you can find much more on the arsenic story at abcnews.com. two governors are working on a federal legalization of marijuana. they have petitioned the dea to make it legal for doctors to

prescribe pot and for pharmacists to fill those prescriptions. currently 16 states, including washington and rhode island, allow the medical use of marijuana. a win in the battle against marijuana smuggling, though. police have busted what they are calling one of the most sophisticated drug tunnels ever found. it stretches 600 yards between warehouses in tijuana and san diego. some of its features are a hydraulic lift, railcars, a staircase and end-to-end wood floors. 32 tons of marijuana was seized with a street value of $53 million. and a scary discovery in the german town of koblenz. delivers there have dropped and exposed a bomb from world war ii. this weekend, a team of experts will diffuse it, forcing 45,000 people to evacuate, just in case. don't be surprised if you see lots of red today. it's not for the holidays.

today's the famous landmarks of sidney, australia, to mark the world aids day. and the empire state building in new york will get the same treatment today. world aids day has been marched each december 1st since 1988. and coming to an end in san francisco. and 72 students are in for worldwide attention. they're the first class to graduate from the oprah winfrey leadership academy for girls. and all 72 of the girls have been accepted at universities in south africa or in the u.s. some even got full scholarships. definitely one of oprah's best legacies. nba teams open their practice facilities today for optional player workouts. that as the league's new labor deal moves toward completion. as for college hoops, the highlights, now, from will selva at espn news. >> good morning. we had a top-ten matchup in college basketball between wisconsin and north carolina. tar heels coming off their first loss of the season. badgers getting the steal here.

ben, just throws up the circus tent, why don't you. wisconsin down two. harrison barnes doing his thing. tar heels up by three. second half. still a tight game. wisconsin down four. frank comiskey, deadly from the outside. 6 1/2 to go. part of an 18-5 tar heel run. dexter strikeland, mid range "j." unc wins 60-57. ridiculous game between san diego state and creighton. this is how it all went down. a minute to go in the game. creighton up two. antoine young, don't give him two. how about giving him three? the blue jays go up by four. san diego state possession. jamal franklin wants a three. and he wants one now. san diego state is down by one. creighton would try to answer.

ethan roggie. creighton ends up winning 85-83. that will do it for this espn news update. i'm will selva. here's a frightening moment from another college game last night. during the time-out, a michigan state cheerleader who was being held in the air fell face-first to the floor. as a precaution, they put her on a backboard and immobilized her head. she gave two, big thumbs up on the way out. they say she's fine. but a little shaken up. >> that looks rough. and the music industry is poised to honor this year's cream of the crop, announcing the much-anticipated grammy nominations. >> kanye west, believe it or not, is leading the pack with seven nominations. one for song of the year. it was a three-way tie for "rolling in the deep," singer adel, the foo fighters and bruno mars. >> a nice crop of nominees. coming up next, "the pulse." how santa got stuck.

plus, we've been talking about it. mariah carey's hit, getting cozy with the biebs. [ female announcer ] lactaid milk is easy to digest. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk.

i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor. numbers don't lie. my cholesterol's stayed down. lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. [ man ] still love that wind in my face! talk to your doctor. don't kid yourself about the risk of heart attack and stroke. if lipitor's been working for you, stay with it. lipitor may be available

for as little as $4 a month with the lipitor co-pay card. terms and conditions apply. learn more at lipitorforyou.com. welcome back, everybody. we've got a holiday edition of "the pulse," for you today, now that this has happened. >> new york was the place to be last night, as the lights on the rockefeller center tree were switched on. >> look at that. the giant spruce is more than 70 feet tall and covered in 5 miles worth of lights. that's how you know it's christmas in new york. >> it's so beautiful. >> a cool story here. a guy was driving by. saw the tree on the highway of this little, old woman. can we have our tree? she said yes. and boom, there it is. >> there's some controversy at the tree lighting that occurred. justin bieber and mariah carey

debuted their new video. a redo of mariah's hit, "all i want for christmas is you." >> there's some controversy. the sexy santa suit. mariah blowing kisses. and getting a little cozy at the end. >> i'm not one of them. she looks good. she's a sexy mom. everyone knows who mariah carey is. and if the roles were reversed and we were talking about a 17-year-old girl and a 40-year-old man, no one would be saying anything. >> the double-standard, huh? that's what you think? >> that's what i think. >> he's 17. he knows how the world works. it's the time of year when kids worry about whether they've been naughty or nice. and that apparently led two kids from upstate new york and called 911 and asked to speak with the police chief or santa. >> that's right. they wanted to make sure they were nice to get their christmas gifts. the call sent two police officers to the home to explain to the 4-year-old and the 6-year-old what constitutes an

emergency. >> that's nice. gave them a tutorial. >> but 4 and 6. >> kids are kids. here's a santa scene you don't see every day. >> the jolly, ole elf was supposed to repel into a children's event at a mall. but his problem was the beard got stuck in the ropes on the way down. >> eventually the guy dressed as st. nick gave up, removing the beard, the wig and the hat making his way down. santa was a professional rope climber who did the gig at no cost at all. you never know where santa is going to pop up. we'll be back. [ beatboxing ] ♪ i help pay the doctor ♪ ain't that enough for you? ♪ there are things major medical doesn't do. aflac! pays cash so we don't have to fret. [ together ] ♪ something families should get ♪ ♪ like a safety net ♪ even helps pay deductibles, so cover your back, get... ♪ a-a-a-a-a-a-a-aflac! [ male announcer ] help protect your family at aflac.com. [ beatboxing ]

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well, finally, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas. >> all right. she's a holiday enthusiast.

>> at the white house. >> the white house is all decked out for the holidays. first lady michelle obama is showing it all off. and this year, a special member of the first family is pretty much stealing the show. abc's mary bruce takes a look. >> reporter: good morning, sunny and rob. the holiday theme at the white house is shine, give, share. the real holiday star this year is the first dog, bo. he's everywhere. the obamas' famous portuguese water dog. made in all sizes, from buttons, licorice and pom-poms. and he's in front of the 400-pound gingerbread house. >> where is bo? you have to find the bo in every room. our dog has been a little confused walking around the house for the last couple of weeks. seeing himself in gigantic form. >> reporter: bo doesn't seem to

mind the attention. he met some of his fans. the first to see the white house. >> we decorated the official white house christmas tree with cards we collected from some of our country's military kids. so, the tree is decorated by kids. that's very cool. >> reporter: the nation's service members play special role in this year's decorations. >> we're using the holiday season here at the white house to highlight our troops and our veterans and all of their families. we wanted to make sure that never again would someone have to ask the question, what is the goal of our family? and what does it mean? we all should know. it took volunteers from across the country countless hours to set up the decorations and adorn the christmas trees at the white house. tonight, the president will light the official national christmas tree. sunny and rob? that's what's making news in america this morning. >> stay with us for "good morning america." thanks again for watching,